The devil you know!
by leckles1
Summary: takes place after 5th year...the dark lord is not happy with lucius after the disaster at the ministry of magic...he gives Draco a task to complete.
1. Chapter 1

The smell, that was the first thing he noticed. Not the smell of death necessarily but something certainly akin to it. Musty, one who was unaware of what lay ahead might describe it as. To Draco the smell was putrid. The corridor was dark and dank. Had he not being so terrified he would have observed how cliché this setting seemed for what lay ahead of him.

He glanced at the man beside him and felt both pride and pity. His father's face looked like it had been carved from stone, but his eyes conveyed the sheer panic within.

This was to be his first meeting with the Dark Lord. He had requested Draco's presence and to defy the Dark Lord would have been idiotic to say the least.

Narcissa had pleaded with her husband to try and prevent the meeting but nothing could be done. No-one defied the Dark Lord and lived to tell the tale. It was inevitable…Draco was born to this life and was expected to follow in the footsteps of the 'heroes' who were saving the magical world from the corruption and defilement of our existence.

Two death eaters flanked the door ahead. Draco did not know who they were. Friends of the family, or perhaps belonging to the ranks of many death eaters who he had yet to become acquainted with. He hoped for the former, there were enough he knew of without adding to their numbers.

As he passed the two guards he looked into their eyes. Neither met his gaze…their eyes were blank. Hollow. He wondered if this was his future.

His father knocked on the door. For a second time Draco glanced at his father, his eyes now resembled those of the men they had just passed. Dead, unstaring, hollow.

The door was swiftly opened by a man he knew as wormtail. He had only seen him once before and had deducted within a minute of meeting him that he was a lowly creature, certainly insubordinate to his father.

Draco's eyes stayed on wormtail's form for a mere second before his eye was caught by who, or should he say what, had been plaguing his nightmares since his summons 5 days ago. The human being who he was to call his Master.

Human, he inwardly cringed at the notion. There was nothing remotely human about the figure in front of him. His features were reptilian like, yet he looked like he was carved from stone. Draco wondered at this anomaly to mankind.

Before him was what was revered in his world, all that was right with the world. His own father obviously felt it or he would not follow him so unquestionably. Then he remembered his fathers worried words of assurances that he would be fine, with a glint of panic in his eye, and wondered if he followed him as unquestionably as Draco was led to believe.

The creature in front of him smiled. If one could call it a smile on such a face. His skin seemed to stretch across his cheekbones in an almost painful way, yet you could see there was no pain caused in this action. His eyes were gleaming, the red hue disturbing, but not as much as the manic glint that scared Draco right down to his very core.

"Ah Draco, so we finally meet? It has been long overdue. No worries, we shall make up for lost time" said the Dark Lord.

He inwardly shuddered at not only the veiled promise of certain doom but his own previous desires for this very meeting to take place. What a fool he had been to wish for this.

Draco bowed dutifully as he recited his fathers instructions on how to address their Lord "My Lord I am honoured that you have requested my presence, I cannot begin to communiate what a privledge this is to me"

'Get to the point quickly, don't say too much' his fathers advising words rung in his head.

The man in front of him barked out a laugh that immediately sent chills down Draco's spine. 'Please let this end soon' he begged inwardly.

"I see you've trained the boy well Lucius, respect he shows in abundance, but courage is yet to be seen" laughed the Dark Lord.

"I assure you My Lord that courage is a trait which he holds most exuberantly, he is as committed to your cause as any of my commrades" Lucius stated as he bowed to the floor like a servant.

"We shall see" the Dark Lord mused.

"As it happens, I have a task for young Draco here, courage is not a necessity in this instance, he shall have to prove that in the future" he paused, analysing both father and sons reaction "His constitution for depravities however, shall be most certainly brought forth with in this task" He finished with a smirk.

Draco was terrified.


	2. Chapter 2

The heat wave that gripped the country this Summer was in full swing today. It was a week in to the summer holidays and already the children of the neighbourhood were showing the signs of sunburn on their faces. Hermione had always enjoyed playing out in the sun when she was younger. She was comfortable in the sun having spent many summers in the south of France. However even she was starting to feel the heavy effects of the temperature.

For the past week she had spent her afternoons, and much of her evenings, under the old oak tree in her back garden. She spent her hours reading and corresponding with Ron. This brought her as much guilt as it did pleasure, for she was not allowed to communicate with Harry in the same way. Nothing but a few mere notes of no great significance had been passed between her and Harry.

She was under the tree thinking just this when her mother came out to join her. "So whats got you looking so sad?" she asked as she sat down beside her. "Harry" was all she gave as a reply. Her mother gave her a look of sympathy that she did not feel she deserved. Harry was the one who deserved the sympathy. Sirius' image swirled in her head and she let out a sigh.

"You know Hermione, I think it might be good if you get out of here for a while, perhaps walk to the shops or to the beach, you haven't really gotten out of the house since you've been home for summer" her mother suggested.

"That's not true, I'm not in the house right now am I?" said Hermione with a smile at her mother.

She laughed in response "My Hermione, always so smart" but her smile disolved as she noticed her daughters smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'll tell you what, you take a walk down to the store for me and run a few errands and you're overbearing mother will say no more about it...for today at least" smiled her mother.

"Oh I suppose I can venture out into the world for a little while" said Hermione in defeat.

Twenty minutes later Hermione was strolling down the avenue of Church street. She had to admit it was refreshing to get out of the house. When she was at home for holidays she very rarely ventured out in to the neighbourhood. Not much had changed over the years, she relished in this fact. The muggle world had no clue as to what was going on in her world and for that she was thankful.

She caught sight of the beach ahead of her and decided to take a stroll along it. Knowing her mothers intentions were purely to get herout of the house she doubted the list of errands to be emergencies.

The beach was of course thronged with people. Children were happily playing and building sandcastles, young couples walked hand in hand along the shore, teenagers played football, people lay sunbathing on their towels. It was all so...normal. Although normality for Hermione had become very blurred in the last 5 years.

She could feel the sun starting to burn her shoulders and she cursed herself for not applying sun screen. She decided she would take shelter outside a small cafe not far from where she was. She sat for a while drinking a coke (which her parents would have throughly disapproved of) when she noticed somone looking at her. He sat at a table opposite her, she was not sure if he had been there when she arrived but she did not think so. As she looked back she thought it odd he did not drop his gaze. It would seem like the normal thing to do if you were caught looking at someone. But then again maybe they just happened to look at eachother at the same time and he thought she was staring at him. The thought instantly made her look away with a blush creeping over her cheeks.

She made a point to look anywhere but in the boys direction. "Excuse me?"...she looked up to find the same boy was now standing at her table looking down at her hesitantly. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked. She stared up at him with a look of shock on her face, then realising he was waiting for a reply and that she must look stupid she answered "Ehh...sure"

He took a seat directly across from her. She took in his appearance and concluded that he was around the same age as her. He had dark brown hair that fell in short waves to frame his face. His eyes were a deep brown shade, a deeper shade than hers. His face was certainly handsome. He sat with great posture which was unusual for a boy her age. She immediately thought of Harry and Ron and seen the difference.

"My names Ryan Warrens, what's yours?" he said to her smiling. There was something strained in the way he smiled.

"It's Hermione Granger" she answered akwardly. This was not something she was accustomed to, handsome boys approaching her like this.

"Well Hermione it's very nice to meet you, are you from around here?"

"Eh not far, are you?" she answered beyond mortification.

"No I'm not from around here, just on holidays" he replied

"Rightttt...eh well I really must be going, I have errands to run for my mother" she answered. She knew it was rude but she was just so beyond embaressed she had to get out of there. She made to leave.

Ryan looked startled with the sudden abruptness of her departure. He stood also and made to go after her "Are you sure you have to leave so soon?" he asked with a tinge of desperation.

"I'm sorry yes, but it was nice to meet you Ryan" she answered as she made for the door.

"Wait, how about you meet me here tomorrow, about 2?" he asked hopefully

She hesitated, "I don't think..."

He interrupted her "Just think about it, Ill be here at 2 tomorrow afternoon, I hope you'll meet me" he said.

There was nothing more she could say, and with that she left.


End file.
